Broken Identities
by Truthfully Lying
Summary: A broken promise, and a forgotten childhood. Princess Rin's newest suitor is her childhood friend, Kagene Len. But he doesn't seem to remember their promise, so long ago. He doesn't remember Rin at all.
1. Prologue: Promise

A/N: UM! So, this is my second fanfic about Rin and Len. Actually, just my second fanfic. Anyways... I hope you'll read and review! :D

DISCLAIMER: It's obvious what I'm going to say here because of the big 'DISCLAIMER' in front. I mean, no duh, I'll disclaim something here... What else would I do? Sell cookies? (Come to the Dark Side! We have _cookies_ and _cakes_!) Ah... I DON'T OWN VOCALOID. There. Done. (I just died inside when I said that, by the way)

* * *

A sparkling, dew-covered world. A world of peace, innocence. A world where the cerulean blue sky was dotted with pure white clouds floating lazily across. A world for children to play happily in the fields and for laughter to fill the air forever. A world where nothing could ever, ever go wrong. A world where nothing would ever change.

Such an innocent lie, and yet it makes such a big difference.

'Len!' The blonde ten-year-old girl laughed as she dove onto into the crystal clear pond and came up sputtering. A nearly identical boy of the same age stood leaning calmly against a tree, his arms crossed in front of his chest. The two could be siblings, twins even. But they were not. In fact, they weren't blood related in any way whatsoever.

'Rinny,' He sighed, 'You'll freeze on the way back if you get yourself wet like that.'

The girl, Rin, pouted as she paddled back to the edge of the pond. 'I don't care!' She declared loudly, 'You're going to go away soon, anyway. I'll be alone. So what if I freeze to death? Maybe that would be less boring!' She seemed to get more and more agitated, and by the end of her little tantrum, she was shouting. Rin tried, but failed, to pull herself up the side of the bank and when Len offered his hand, she stopped, glaring, before reluctantly accepting his help.

'Rinny, I already told you.' Len said as he took off his coat and wrapped it around the shivering girl, 'I don't _want_ to move away. I need to. Dad's business failed, we're moving somewhere where everything would cost less.'

'I told you that you could stay at the palace!'

'We can't, Rinny.' Len sighed, 'We can't just live somewhere for free, without doing or giving anything back. It's not right.'

'But... But...'

'Rinny. I'm moving. There's nothing you can do.'

Rin's mouth opened and closed for a while before tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she scrambled up, yelling. 'It's not that I can't do anything, it's that you won't _let_ me do anything! Just tell the truth, Len. You don't want me around you anymore!' By now, the tears were flowing freely down her face, and her bright blue eyes were bright with emotion. Len looked stricken and he reached out a hand towards the girl, 'Rinny...'

'Don't "Rinny" me! You don't want me! No one wants me! I'll be all alone forever!

With that, Rin spun around and ran, her dripping white ribbon that had managed to stay firmly on her head during her dip in the pond finally fluttering off and landing on the floor, her shoulder-length blonde hair flying out behind her.

~.~

'I know you're there, Rinny.'

A small sniff confirmed his suspicions and Len stepped forward cautiously, as one might do so as to not scare off a timid small animal. 'Don't hide there, Rinny. The guards are probably looking for you at the palace. C'mon.' He coaxed, not without affection.

A few more sniffs, and then those blue eyes laden with tears peeked at him from between the leaves on the tree.

'Please come down?'

'I'm... I'm afriad to...' Len sighed, exasperated.

'Stay there, Rinny. I'll go up and get you down. Don't lean out too much; you might fall.'

Rin nodded and her eyes disappeared behind the green again.

Len placed his arms on the bark of the tree and, with a grunt, pulled himself up slowly. When he was high enough, he reached for a branch and swung upwards, pulling himself on the branch Rin was sitting on. He stretched out a hand, smiling at the girl. 'Let's bring you home, Rinny.'

Rin rubbed her eyes and reached out. Just as Len had her hand firmly clasped in his, there was a sickening _crack!_ and the two fell, one with a yelp and one with a scream.

'OOF!'

Len had, luckily, landed on a pile of dried leaves, so he was aching but not seriously hurt. He also had Rin on top of him. Immediately, he sat up, hugging the petite littly girl. 'Are you okay, Rinny? Nothing broken? Will you live?'

Rin gave a small giggle, even though her eyes filled with tears of pain. 'I'm okay. Nothing's broken. I think. And I'll live. Hopefully.' She paused, then added in a smaller, more worried voice, 'Are _you_ okay, Len?'

Len breathed a sigh of relief and replied, 'Yeah. I'm fine.' Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out Rin's now-dried white bow. 'Here. You dropped it by the pond.' Rin reached out to take the bow, but Len pulled it back. 'I'll put it on for you.' He clipped the little bow firmly in place and smiled at Rin, surprised when she started to tear up again. 'Rinny? Rinny, what's wrong.'

'You'll... You'll really leave, right Len?' She sniffed, 'I won't see you again, and then you'll forget all about me.'

'I won't Rinny,' He quickly reassured her.

'And then you'll find someone else, someone cuter. And you'll get together and I'll be alone. And you won't care about me anymore, and...'

'Rinny. Rin.' Len interrupted and the girl looked at him through tear-filled eyes. 'I won't ever forget you. I won't stop caring about you. I won't find someone better, I promise.' Rin's eyes widened a bit at the word "promise".

'There won't ever be anyone else but you in my heart,' Len continued, 'Even if I move far, far away, I'll come back for you. I promise.'

'... Really?' Rin asked. For someone her age, she took promises very seriously, and Len knew that. He smiled.

'Really.'

'Promise?' Rin stuck out her pinky finger.

'Promise.' Len said, and sealed the deal.

'You will forever be my little crybaby.'

'Hey!'

~.~

'Oh, Len.' Rin sighed as she looked out the window from her room. No, her _prison_ really. Even though she, Kagamine Rin, was the princess of Ledon, she was really just another prisoner under her parents' rule.

She had waited. Oh, how she had waited. For five years, she had clung on desperately onto that promise, that pitiful little child's promise. Rin was 15 now, and she was still waiting for Len to come back to here.

'Maybe... Did he forget about me?' Rin wondered, and then had to blink back the tears that threatened to explode out. No. No, he promised. He wouldn't forget her.

Right?

'Rin-sama.' The kind voice of Gumi, her personal maid -Although Rin liked to think of the green-haired girl as a friend and a confident- interrupted her idle houghts. 'The suitor your father picked is here. Are you ready?'

'How many times have I told you to call me Rin, Gumi?' Rin sighed, then added, 'By the way, this suitor... What's his name? Are you sure that Dad isn't going to just tease me with him and then chase him away again?'

'Um, I'm not sure Rin-sa... Rin-chan,' Rin decided she would be satisfied with 'Rin-chan' for now, 'But I do now his name and how he looks. He looks quite similar to you, actually.'

'Oh, really?'

'Yes. His name is, um, Len. Kagene Len.'

Len.


	2. Chapter 1: I'll Make Him Remember

A/N: A lot of thanks to _Clavemien Nigram Rosa_: You're my first reviewer! (Althought I'm sure you knew that) Seriously though, thank you for telling me to update! I nearly died of happiness when I found out I had a review :D Here a cookie! *Waves cookie in the air for Clavemien Nigram Rosa*

DISCLAIMER: Since... Since I already died inside the first time I said this, I... I guess it'll be alright to say it again? I do not own Vocaloid. **BOOM! **Ahh... It wasn't alright. (That was my heart exploding... I think...?)

* * *

Five years ago, Kagamine Rin would have sped down the palace steps, giggling childishly the mintue news of the arrival of her beloved reached her ears. But, that was in the past now. Rin had been raised not only as a lady and a princess, but also the sole succesor to a throne and a king for her people. She would not indulge in such unsightly behaviour. True, she kept some of her old spunk and mischeviousness, but Rin was a changed person. She no longer had no worries in the world; instead, the weight of her family name rested upon her.

Slowly, Rin descended the stairs, carefully hiding her anticipation just in case that "Kagene Len" was not the "Kagene Len" she used to know. Who knows? There might very well be another with the same name existing in the world. She would embarrass herself by charging on childishly.

'Ah, Rin-chan!' Gumi called, waving frantically at the bottom of the stairs. Gumi had excused herself while Rin was preparing herself to meet Len. Rin smiled warmly at Gumi even though she felt slightly exasperated at the older girl's silly waving.

'Gumi,' Rin chided affectionately, 'Don't wave so wildly. Is Len here?'

'Yes! He's, um, waiting at the Lounge, I think.'

'Is he?' Rin stopped walking and took a moment to steady herself, firmly lidding the excited little girl inside of her, and added, 'Tell me, Gumi- Does this Len have blue eyes and blonde hair?'

'Why, yes, Rin-chan. How... How did you know?'

Rin couldn't help but beam brightly, now utterly convinced that her new suitor was really _her_ Len. 'I jsut know Gumi. C'mon, let's go!' Rin picked up her skirts and rushed towards the Lounge as fast as she could while still walking. Behind her, the green-eyed maid shook her head, smiling, 'I wonder what's gotten into Rin-chan.'

Rin slowed herself significantly as she entered the Lounge, spotting the boy on the couch almost immediately. She was unable to keep the wide beam off her face, and she finally succumbed to her childish desires. Because, the moment Rin set eyes on him, she _knew_. She just _knew_ that that boy in front of her in his neat black suit and boots was the Kagene Len that she used to know, in all his blonde-haired, blue-eyed glory. Unable to restrain herself any furthur, Rin jumped right into his arms, startling the boy.

'Len! You came back!'

The boy, Kagene Len, pushed back from Rin's hug abruptly, an obviously surprised look on his face. His next words chilled Rin and maybe, just maybe, even broke her heart a little.

'I'm sorry, but... Have we met before?'

~.~

'A-Ano... Rin-chan?'

Megpoid Gumi cautiously peeked into her mistress and friend's room. Rin had been sulking on her bed for the past half hour and Gumi was worried about the petite blonde. After meeting her fiancee, Rin had excused herself as early as possible and stalked right into her room, the slam of the door echoing thoughout the palace. For the next thirty minutes, Rin had spent her time fuming mad and screaming her voice hoarse at anybody whom dared disturb her tantrum. Anybody that is, except for Gumi. The younger girl had allowed only Gumi into her room and even then only until the dessing table.

Gumi had wondered if something had gone wrong during the meeting. Maybe Rin didn't like her new suitor? Or maybe Rin's father had done something to annoy the fiesty girl again. If it was neither of those... Gumi frowned a bit as the last possiblity crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. The king would not demand that of Rin just when a new suitor had been found.

'... You can come in, Gumi.'

The green-haired maid breathed a sigh of relief as she trotted into Rin's bedroom and stood at the very edge of the dressing table. 'Um... Dinner is ready, Rin-chan. The king asked me to get you to, uh, come out of your room and go to get your food.'

'...'

'Please... Please come out, Rin-chan.'

_Please come down?_

Everything reminded her of _him_ now. Rin bit her lip and forced herself to answer in a mock casual voice, 'Sure. Ah, could you wait for a bit, Gumi? I'll get ready by myself. Be out in ten mintues.'

'Yes, Rin-chan.'

There was a shuffling noise -Rin had to smile despite the ringing pain in her heart when she remembered how hard Gumi had tried to stop her bad habit of dragging her feet across the floor- and the soft closing of the door before silence and Rin knew she was alone.

Alone.

Alone.

Alone.

Len had saved her from that, that painful nothingness. Rin had been alone once, and Len's beautiful smile had saved her from that. And then he had promised to never forget about her, and to come back to her side, and that she would forever be the only one in his heart. Were those all lies? Or were they meant as truth?

Either way, those promises were already broken.

~.~

_'I'm sorry, but... Have we met before?' Such a simple enquiry, and yet it broke her heart. Shattered it and stomped on the fallen pieces, really._

_'Y-Yeah, of course, Len!' Rin had exclaimed, forcing a wide, desperate smile onto her face. 'Of course we've met. Silly Len! Don't you remember?'_

_'... I'm sorry, but... I don't recall ever having seen you before.' __It was then that panic had started to build, and that panic had soon gave way to hysteria. Wild, desperate, screaming hysteria that had clawed at Rin and had threathened to tear her apart._

_'Of course you remember, Len!' Rin had said, her voice rising alarmingly, 'Of course you remember. You have to remember! Do you? I'm Kagamine Rin, I used to be your childhood friend until you moved away. Don't you remember me? Don't you remember our promise?' If this was five years before, Rin would have already started crying and shedding tears, but this Rin of five years later shed no tears. Instead, she forced back those glistening beads and clenched her fists._

_'You... You really don't... Remember...' Rin had whispered, disbelief shining in her wide cerulean eyes. Len had shaken his head with an apologectic smile, 'No, I'm sorry. I really don't remember you. Maybe you mistook me for someone else?'_

_'Ah, yes. I must have mistook you for someone else, I'm sorry.'_

~.~

Rin smiled bitterly as she relived those moments. She had no doubt in her mind that this was the same Len she knew as a child. What pained her and puzzled her to no end was the fact that Len had truly forgotten her, despite all his promises and his reassurences.

'R-Rin-chan, are you coming out soon?'

'Ah! I'm sorry Gumi, give me a minute.'

No, it didn't matter. If Len had truly forgotten her, then she would make him remember. Rin would definitely make him remember her and then maybe, maybe, she might be the one to prove her existance before the deadline her father had ordered for Rinto to return was up. Rin's fist clenched at the thought of _Rinto_.No, she would definitely make him remember everything, she ahd to make him remember everything, and then he would take her away and they would live together happily forever. Rin knew that the old flames of love she had felt for the nearly-identical blonde boy had not died down completely and now, at the mere sight of him, those flames had risen once again and that old love came back, stronger than ever.

Rin slipped off her bed and padded to the door of her room. She took a moment to steady her features and released a big smile, for herself if not for anyone else. 'I'm ready, Gumi!' Rin called lightly, surprising the jade-eyed girl outside her door. Rin laughed as Gumi jumped slightly, before adding, 'Ne, Gumi, what's for dinner?'

'Um... I'm not acutally very sure, Rin-chan.'

'Mm... Let's go and find out, then!' Rin cheered, and grabbed Gumi by the arm, racing down the stairs now that there were no more visitors to be polite and formal in front of.

She would make Len remember everything, absolutely everything. Everything, that is, as long as he continued to stay by her side.

Rin didn't know what she would do if Len fell in love with someone else.

.

..

_...Of course he would fall in love with someone else._


	3. Chapter 2: Usotsuki

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Thank you for your support, it made me real happy! :D *throws a shower of cakes*

DISCLAIMER: I WANT TO OWN VOCALOID! I totally want to! But I can't unless I press this CHEAT IN LIFE button! Which I can't 'cause I'm tied to a chair and hand-cuffed in a locked room thousands of kilometres away! *cries* TT_TT

* * *

_At that time, two years after Len had left, Rin hated everything._

_She hated the cold marble floors of her father's throne room. She hated the intricately decorated pillars. She hated those wide glass windows that gleamed, iridescent, in the light. She hated Len, for leaving her. She hated herself, for letting him leave. Rin even hated poor, innocent Gumi, and for no rhyme or reason._

_'Do you understand, Rin?' Her father's voice boomed powerfully across the throne room, meant for commanding huge armies and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. At that moment, however the only thing he was striking into anyone was a deep, rising anger and poisonous hatred, arising from none other than his very own daughter._

_'Yes, father.' Rin stated, her voice a mere whisper compared to her father's bellowing words._

_'The deadline for you until Rinto is to come back is your sixteen brithday.'_

_'Yes, father.'_

_'...'_

_Rin looked up in surprise at her father's silence, her anger at everything in the world momentarily forgotten. She had expected him to continue treating her like a child, or to go through what he said again. Not that she wanted him to treat her like that._

_'Rin...' The King hesitated, then added, 'I'm sorry.'_

_Rin's back stiffened and she stood up abruptly. Her fists clenched so tight her knuckles were gleaming white, Rin turned and stalked out of the throne room._

_'I really am... Sorry, Rin.'_

~.~

Len didn't think too much of it when his fiancee turned out to be the Princess. Of course, for the amount of money they were willing to offer for him to marry her, Kagamine Rin would have had to be quite rich. He was understandably shocked when he found out the true lineage of his new suitor, but had gotten over that quickly enough.

Len still didn't think too much of it when Rin jumped him and caught him in a tight embrace the second she saw him. _Is this how rich folk greet each other? _He had wondered to himself and dismissed the thought with a small shake of his head. They wouldn't be so intimate. Or so he hoped.

It was when Rin started claiming to know him when Len got just the slightest bit irritated, and the slightest bit nostalgic, too. He had immediately questioned himself after the latter, and his failure to produce a suitable reason as to why he was feeling nostalgic had gotten him even more irritated.

Of course, he hid it well.

Truthfully, Len couldn't care less about how he felt around the petite blonde girl. He had only agreed to be wed to her for the money they were offering. With money, he could support his sickly older sister without ever needing her to worry about money issues ever again. Len did feel apologectic to Rin, because he only agreed to be with her for the money.

'It doesn't matter anyway.' Len mused, staring at the ceiling. He was back in his tiny home, sent back in a carriage after meeting the Princess. Since Lenka was taking up the bed, Len had just flopped onto the floor, put his hands over his eyes, and rested. 'She came to me first, anyway.'

That was true. A lady that looked about her mid-twenties with flowing white hair had approached Len on the streets when he was out buying food just a few days ago and offered a ridiculous amount of money for him to be some girl's fiancee.

Food. That reminded him. Len pulled himself up with a groan and pulled on his dirty shoes. 'I'm going out, sis. I'll get us dinner.'

'Mmm...' All that came from Lenka was a moan. Len looked at his older sister sadly before pushing open the door with his shoulder and heading out to town.

~.~

'Gumi!'

'W-Wait for me, Rin-chan!'

Rin laughed, a clear, sparkling sound, and went faster. It was great to be outside. Even though she was forced to hide her face with a large, floppy cap, Rin still loved being in town. There everyone treated her equally. No one would pretend to be polite, curse her behind her back, or bow to her everytime they met. Of course, Gumi needn't do that, but she was the only one. Gumi and Haku were her only friends out of everybody at the castle, but Rin hardly ever saw Haku anymore.

Rin spun around, taking in the sights and sounds with a smile. They were at the Town Square, where a beautiful fountain sat. It was said that if you threw a coin into its crystal clear waters, your wish would be granted. Rin fished around her pocket for a coin, and when she found one, threw it in immediately.

_I wish that Len would remember me!_

Gumi finally caught up with Rin, panting slightly. 'R-Rin-chan... I... You... Did you just make a, um, wish?'

'Yeah!' Rin's smile was like the sun.

'What did you wish for?'

'I can't tell you, now can I?' With a serene smile, the lithe little girl spun around and jumped onto the edge of the fountain, walking around its wide rim. She laughed, forgetting all her worries for an instant before she spotted Len with a beautiful girl at the other end of the Square.

Len.

With a girl.

The oblivious blonde boy was laughing with the pig-tailed girl, a light blush adorning both their cheeks. Rin froze in horror, and when Len reached out to touch that girl's cheek, she fell.

Rin landed with a splash into the fountain. She coughed, mourning her sore back when a memory from when she and Len made the promise rose without warning. Len had helped her up the bank of a lake, and then she ran away. He had found her, though. At that time, he had always found her.

_There won't ever be anyone else but you in my heart_. Yeah, right. Just as Rin was choking back tears, Gumi's worried voice rang through the air.

'Rin-chan!'

A slender hand grasped her arm and Rin was pulled up, shivering and shaking. Rin was glad for the water all over her. That way, her tears wouldn't be seen. When Gumi asked if she was alright, Rin nodded quickly. No use worrying Gumi too much. Soon, the older girl was leading her back to their carriage. Once Gumi made sure Rin was settled as comfortably as she could inside, she sped off to buy a towel so that Rin could dry herself, leaving the blonde girl too much time alone to think.

Of course Len would find someone else. They had been away from each other for five years, after all, and he had clearly forgotten about her and that promise they had made. There was no way Rin could compare with the girl she saw. That girl seemed sweet and innocent, with long silky teal hair and beautiful green eyes. Rin had straw-colored blonde hair cut until her shoulders and dull blue eyes. That girl was tall, graceful, and she had a chest. Rin was short, clumsy, and was an obvious flat-chest.

There was no way they could compare.

Rin felt tears swell up in her eyes again and she quickly rubbed them away. She could hear Gumi's foot-steps getting louder. She had to pretend she was fine, pretend she had just slipped and fell into the fountain. She had to pretend everything was alright.

'Len, you liar.'

~.~

Kagene Len knew he was in love.

The moment he saw Miku, he just _knew_ that he was in love with her. Badly. _Is there really such a thing as love at first sight? _He had mused to himself, but when she looked up and smiled that beautiful smile of hers, all his doubts were vanquished.

Yes. He was definitely in love.

For once in his life, Len was thankful towards his family's poverty. Miku had only approached him when she saw that he was having trouble finding something cheap enough to buy. She got him some bread and cookies. Len had been touched immediately by her kindness towards him, a complete stranger. They had started talking, and the two hit off immediately.

'What's your name?' She had asked.

'I'm L-Len. Kagene Len.'

She had smiled, complimenting his name, and then told him hers. 'I'm Hatsune Miku.' She had said, and then she had laughed, 'Let's be good friends from now on!'

Len wanted to be more than just friends. He wanted to twirl those teal strands around his fingers. He wanted to touch her, to hug her. Without warning, Len suddenly reached forward and touched Miku's cheek lightly, marvelling at the soft smoothness of her skin. He could hear something that sounded suspiciously like a splash close by, but just continued to stare into Miku's emerald eyes.

And that brought him to the current awkward position they were in.

Miku blushed immediately, and looked away. Len felt his face heat up, too and he quickly pulled his hand away. 'I... Uh... Sorry.' He said lamely, then cursed himself at his utter lack of smoothness. He should have said something smarter, maybe compliment her skin and lighten the mood. But it was too late. He had already said what he said and now an even more awkward air hung around the two. Len and Miku stood there like that for a while, both slipping quick glances at the other party before Miku suddenly bowed low to him.

'I-I'm sorry!'

'... Huh?' Len blinked, dumbfounded.

'I... I... Um...' More silence dominated the pair for a moment before Miku whispered, 'I have to get home now... So...'

Len felt his hopes fall, and he nodded dejectedly. Miku turned and started to run away. At the very last moment, though, she turned and called. 'We can meet again tomorrow! Same place, same time!' With that, she smiled again, making Len's heart beat faster, and disappeared around the corner.

Len realized he was staring at the empty space where Miku had been with a goofy smile on his face and immediately straightened, ignoring all the odd looks from passers-by, and went on his way back home, right hand clutching the bag of bread tightly.

Yep. He was definitely in love.

~.~

_'I won't ever forget you. I won't stop caring about you. I won't find someone better, I promise.'_


	4. Chapter 3: A Certain Blue Haired Idiot

A/N: Haiz~ I'm back! Anyways, this will probably be one of my last posts for the time being, sicne I probably won't be able to get online at all from 25 May all the way to around the end of June. TT_TT And I hate MikuXLen too XD Seriously. I gagged while writing about it in the last chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Hn... I might very well own Vocaloid. Who knows? :D But if I do own Vocaloid, I'm giving Rin and Len all Miku's songs and Miku shall be abandoned in the most public way possible. THE HATSUNE MIKU REIGN SHALL END! MWAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA! NOW BOW DOWN TO ME!

Ahem.

I'll do this properly.

DISCLAIMER: I... Do... Not... Own... Voca... Loid!

* * *

_'... Who are you?'_

_Len knew he was being unreasonably cold to the overly optimistic blue-haired boy, but at this point, he didn't care. He didn't care about anything, he didn't care about anyone else. All that currently mattered were his sister and that empty space in his memories he vaguely recalled to be something important. Len didn't know what it was, exactly, and that was what irked him to no end. The longer he stayed in the hospital, and the more operations and check-ups Lenka had to go through the more he stopped caring about anything else._

_That ice-cream loving idiot didn't seem to realize this, of course._

_'I already told you, Len-chan! I'm Kaito. Shion Kaito.' The boy pouted, crossing his arms over his chest in mock anger._

_'Never mind. I don't care who you are.'_

_'That's mean, Len-chan!'_

_Len couldn't stand it anymore. He snapped, ' Don't call me "Len-chan"! I'm obviously a guy! I don't care if it's mean! I don't care what you think! I don't care who you are, and why you keep coming here, so can you please just go away and leave me alone!' There. That would do it. Kaito would definitely go away after that. Len sat there expectedly, glaring at Kaito, who gaped back in shocked silence for a while before breaking out into a wide, beaming smile._

_It was the blonde-haired boy's turn to gape._

_Kaito laughed, and said cheerfully, 'I'm not going away, Len-kun! My parents own this hospital, y'know? And Dad's the doctor taking care of you and your sister. I won't be going anywhere for a long time, so let's get along, 'kay?'_

_Strangely, Kaito's bouncy personality reminded him of someone, and Len frowned trying to remember that someone. Kaito's smile, after seemingly taken Len's frown as a sign of reluctance, faded slightly. A rush of pity flooded Len, and he realized that Kaito was probably pretty lonely, his parents being busy doctors and all. Len sighed, staring at the older boy, whose smile was wavering slightly now, and said, 'Fine then. We'll try to get along.' _

~.~

Kagaime Rin told herself that she would not cry, desperately repeating this command in her mind and trying to stop those beads of tears from rolling down her cheeks. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. But no matter how hard she tried, Rin couldn't erase that image from her mind. Len, showing intimate affection towards a girl. A prettier, more graceful, taller, more beautiful girl.

'U-Um... Rin-chan? A-Are you... Alright?' Gumi called out nervously from the dorr of Rin's huge bedroom. Gumi sounded guilty. Rin almost laughed, despite how heart-broken and afraid she felt. What had happened was nothing to do with Gumi, all the green-haired girl had wanted to do was to bring Rin to town for a while to relax.

'I'm fine, Gumi.' Rin replied, crawling off her bed reluctantly and trudging to the door.

'Oh, that's... That's good, Rin-chan!' Gumi smiled briefly before adding, 'The K-King says he wants to, um, see you in his t-throne room.'

Rin grimaced, then nodded. 'Yeah... Okay. Tell him I'll be right there, Gumi.'

The older girl nodded quickly and exited Rin's room. Rin looked around and sighed deeply. Her father hardly ever called her out, but when he did, it was usually for something she wouldn't like and something that he thought would benefit everyone. For that reason, Rin hated ever having to be called out in front of her father.

Rin stared at the mirror, and her dull reflection stared right back at her. It wasn't that she hated her father. He just never did have any time for her. But right now, nothing else was as important as Len. Who was that beautiful, teal-haired girl? How did Len know her?

The blonde-haired princess bit her lip worriedly. Len was obviously in love with that girl. Not her. He had already broken the promise and without knowing he did, too. If Rin could let Len fall in love with her, then maybe, just maybe, she would get him back. Not that Len was an object for Rin to obtain, of course. The petite little girl just loved him from the bottom of her heart and longed for him to remember their promise, and to remember her.

Rin looked up, determined. She would _definitely _help Len remember. Rin's fist clenched, her fingernails digging into hard skin and soft flesh. Len had to remember. _He_ _had to_.

'Please remember, Len...' The blue-eyed girl whispered, 'Please remember soon.'

'Rin's time is running out.' *

~.~

Kagene Len was jumped on the street on his way home.

'LEN-CHAN!'

'Kaito! Get off me!'

With some struggling, Len managed to get the ice-cream lover off himself enough so that Len could glare right into his eyes. The first thing Len did to greet his friend-of-three-years was giving him a hard smack on the head.

'Ouch! That hurt, Len-chan!' Kaito whined, holding his head in mock terror before letting go and grinning widely. 'I haven't seen you in a while, Len-chan! So, what have you been up to, kiddo?'

'You're not that much older than me, you know Kaito.'

Kaito snorted, 'I'm older than you by a year.'

'That's my point!'

Kaito, blatantly ignoring Len, pointed at the bundle of bread the fuming blonde-boy was carrying instead. 'Since when have you gotten rich enough to buy that much bread?'

'I didn't buy it.'

'You stole it! Len-chan, that's not good!'

'Idiot!' Kaito recieved another whack, but the blue-haired boy just laughed it off.

'Where did you get it, then?'

'... Someone bought it for me...'

'Really? Who?' Kaito's interest was immediately aroused. In the three years he had known Len, no one other them himself had ever showed a shred of kindness to him before. The blue-eyed boy idly wondered what type of person he or she would be.

'Ah! Her name is Hatsune Miku.'

~.~

'I'd like you to meet someone, Rin. A possible business partner. He is the son of the owner of Shion Medical Industries.' Rin's father told her. Well, to the King, telling someone to do something was exactly equivilent to ordering someone to do something.

Rin nodded glumly, trying her best to hide her reluctance and replace it with something more enthusiastic. A new buisness partner. Great.

'Rinto will probably have to famaliarize himself with this boy.'

Rin's lack of interest immediately shifted to a fierce anger and her jaw clenched. She nodded stiffly and studied the marble floors of her father's throne room. In that moment, she learnt a lot more about that particular patch of marble floor than she ever thought she was learn.

'You are excused, Rin.'

Rin stood and bowed stiffle to her father before she turned to leave.

~.~

_'His name is Shion Kaito.'_

~.~

_'... Len. We've known Miku for over a year.'_

* * *

*Rin's referring to herself in third person here :D

A/N: I personally feel that this wasn't good enough. Compared to my previous posts... This one's kinda bad... (TT^TT) I have an excuse, though. I'm doing this way late at night :) My brain's not functioning properly. Yeah. That's it.

~.~

Clavemien Nigram Rosa: Thank you for reviewing on every chapter I've written! :D Thanks so much~ (You know, I had been reading your story since before I created an account and when I realized that you reviewed on my sotry I was like O.O))

Miri-chan: You've reviewed on everything since chapter 2, so thanl you too!

XxRinnyxX: Thank you for your support. *bows*

Reinette-cat: I love your story, 'The Little Mermaid's Revenge'! Keep updating that story... Oh, and don't worry. I hate MikuXLen too. Actually, I hate MikuXAnybody plain and simple.

Hyrule Master: When I read your review, I was drinking water. Your review made me laugh, and then I coughed, and then my shirt was wet O.o And then I started cracking up every single time I read the *FLIP DESK* part...

Katakana Kong: I totally agree XD Len's a complete jerk in this story.

anon: I feel like strangling Len too, actually, especially while I'm writing about him thinking of Miku. But I can't. Because then I'd have one less lead character.

Luffy-LT: Haiz! You actually read this! :D I thought you said you didn't have time?

Xoxo: There's only one thing I can say: I sincerely hope that I'll make it a RinXLen in the end.

Wolfred Bane: ... Is that old English...?

RinRinSableheh: *le gasp* YOU'RE PHYSIC. You totally are. You almost totallt guess my plot. Except for a few important points :D


	5. Chapter 4: So Many Lies

A/N: Yo! I'm finally updating here~ Unfortunately, because of that pesky thing called examinations, my updates will probably be weekly rather than every other day. TT_TT I hate exams.

DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid belonges not to thee. (TT^TT)

* * *

_'Daddy! Something's wrong! Len won't respond when I call him!'_

_The twelve-year-old Kagamine Rin ran down the marble corridors, yelling at the top of her lungs and blatantly ignoring all the disapproving looks the servants and her father's advisers threw at her._

_'DADDY!'_

_'Rin,' Her father sighed, 'Rin, please keep your voice down.'_

_'But Len-'_

_'He'll answer eventually, Rin. Be patient.'_

_'Daddy! It's been four months!'_

_'Just wait, Rin. Len would come around eventually. Maybe he's just busy.'_

_'... Okay Daddy...'_

_As Kagamine Rin exited the room, her father's advisers went in, each wearing frowns and grimaces._

_'Your Highness, we request an audience with you.'_

_'You may speak, Yowane.'_

_Yowane Haku was the youngest of the king's advisers. A soft-looking twenty-two year-old with snow white hair and dark grey eyes, Haku had a brilliant mind, a sharp tongue and a charismatic way of getting people to do her biding. _

_'Your Highness, your daughter is getting out of control. She runs around like a maniac and pays no attention to her image or her reputation. She acts like a stray puppy and does nothing that befits a lady. Rin has to be controlled. You have no other children, your Highness, and, pardon my rudeness, you refuse to take another wife. Or even a concubine. You have no heir to your throne and your only child will spoil your family's name!'_

_'Rin will be the hire to my throne, Haku.'_

_'Rin is a female! Ladon needs a king, a ruler, someone worthy to rule! Not a weak, crybaby little girl! Rin doesn't-'_

_'Yowane Haku! You go too far!'_

_Silence overtook the room abruptly. Haku took a step back, startled._

_'Rin will serve as King of Ladon when the time comes. By the time she turns 16, Rin will be a perfect ruler. There is nothing else to discuss about concerning this topic. Is there anything else?'_

_'... No, your Highness.'_

_'You may take your leave.' __As the four advisers turned to go, the King called to Haku to stay a while, as he had something important to tell her._

_'Yowane Haku. You will watch over Rin for me, do you understand?'_

_'Yes, your Highness.'_

_'Also... When Rin turns 16, her long-gone twin brother Rinto will be back from Pire, at which point Rin will be sent to another country to study. Make sure to prepare for Rinto. Do you understand?'_

_'...Yes your Highness?'_

_As Yowane Haku left the King's presence, she twirled a strand of white hair around her index finger thoughtfully. 'Rinto...? But his Highness only ever had one child... He only had Rin, and he has no other women. Rinto... Doesn't exist.' Haku continued to ponder this throughout the whole day. It was only when she was finally back in her room and getting ready for sleep when she realized the truth._

_'Oh my gosh. He said that they were _twins_. The King said that they were twins! He... This is absurd! Ingenious, no doubt, but absurd!_

_'Does he plan to lie to Ladon forever?'_

~.~

Kagamine Rin eyed the blue-haired boy suspiciously. He looked like an idiot. But, apparently, he was not. He looked like he was a peasent's son. But, apparently, he was not. _Does this guy look like anything he's supposed to be? _Rin wondered idly, not really paying attention to what he was saying. People like him all wanted the same thing. Money, fame, power, the support of the Royal Family of Ladon. Rin despised meeting with this kind of people, and she suspected that that was the exact reason her father made her meet with them.

'... And I truly hope to be friends with you, Miss Kagamine. I hope our parents will be able to have a good relationship, and I hope that this partnership will work out...'

'You sure hope for a lot, Mr Shion.' Rin muttered.

'Oh, yes. I do. But what I hope for most is for you to actually pay some attention when I'm discussing the future of our parents.' Rin blinked. 'Just kidding,' Shion Kaito dimpled at the blonde girl and then leaned forward.

'I think this is epically boring, too. But my dad forced me to come.' He whispered.

Rin's eyes widened, and she stared at Kaito, the whisper of a smile turning up the corners of her mouth. 'Oh really? Well then, it has been a pleasure discussing our business with you. Would you like to meet up again, for some tea, perhaps? Tomorrow? At noon?'

'It would be my pleasure.'

And with that, the conversation between the two teenagers ended. Rin saw to it that Kaito was escorted out of the grounds and made sure to instruct the servants to prepare for his visit the next day.

Maybe discussing business wasn't so boring after all.

~.~

Kagene Len was confused. Very, very confused. Of course, when he had first seen the teallete, he had though there was something familiar. But now that his long-time best friend Shion Kaito had told him that they had known Miku for an awful long time... Well, it wasn't quite possible for Len.

Then again, that wouldn't have been the first time Len seemed to have forgotten someone. Maybe he had just never paid attention to Miku before... Which was also impossible. Len only needed to think about the green-eyed girl's name to start blushing heavily.

'Len...'

Len started, sitting up straight, before turning to face his sister. 'Lenka. What is it?'

'Thirsty.'

'Ah, okay. I'll get some water for.'

Len stood and hurried to the tiny make-shift kitchen he had thrown together just the day before. If their parents had still been around, maybe Lenka would have gotten treatment for her illness already...

_Don't think about them. _Len reminded himself with a shake of his head, _Don't think about the accident, or before the accident. Concentrate on getting money for Lenka and yourself._

Don't think about the accident or anything before it. Right.

~.~

'Rin-chan? Would you like Kagene Len to come over again? He is supposed to be your suitor, you know.'

Gumi cocked her head questioningly at the blond-hair girl. Rin opened one eye and yawned widely, not bothering to cover her mouth now that she was in the privacy of her room.

'Len? Um... Maybe... Maybe a few days later. Give him a few days to get over the fact that he's marrying a princess, eh?' Rin gave a laugh, a little bit to casual, a little bit too light, to be real. Gumi frowned.

'Rin-chan!' She said abruptly. 'You've been acting, um, wierdly these days. R-Right after your meeting with, er, Kagene Len... Did something happen during your meeting or, uh, something like that?'

'What? Gumi, don't be silly!'

The green-haired maid's eyebrows furrowed, before she finally sighed and sat down at the edge of Rin's bed, looking directly at the other girl's eyes. 'Gumi? Is something the matter?' Rin asked curiously.

'Rin-chan...'

'Yes Gumi?'

'I just wanted you to know... Even if no one else understands you... I'll be here for you. No matter what. I'll stay by your side, Rin-chan.'

'... Gumi?'

'I, um, I just wanted you to know that. A-As a friend.'

Rin relaxed visibly, 'Yeah. And I know, as a friend, I would always be here for you too, Gumi!'

Gumi smiled shyly at Rin before standing up abruptly and heading to the door. Just as she was about to exit the room, Rin called out to her. 'Wait, Gumi!'

'What is it, Rin-chan?'

'I just wanted to say... Thank you. And... It'll be my 16 birthday in a few weeks, right?'

Gumi blinked, wondering why she would ask this. 'Right, Rin-chan.'

'Ah. Thank you, Gumi. For everything you've ever done for me.'

'... You're welcome, Rin-chan...?'

~.~

_A crash, the sound of glass shattering. A scream, the swerving of tires. Horses neighing wildly._

_'MOM! DAD!'_

_Darkness._

_..._

_.._

_._

_Light. A white ceiling. A doctor standing, checking things off a clipboard._

_'Mom... Dad... Lenka...'_

_'Your parents are dead, son.' Gruff but sympathetic. Lies. 'Your sister is in the next room, she's suffering from serious injuries. I'm afriad her mind might not be the same again.' Lies. 'You have minor cuts, and a scar on your chest. The most we can presume is that a piece of glass must have sliced you during the crash.' Lies. 'You also hit your head very hard, but we still don't know if the hit has affected your mind in anyway.' Lies._

_Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. LIES!_

_Something was missing. Something important. Very important. A promise? A voice. A smile. A laugh._

_All lies._


	6. Chapter 5: Unrelenting Rain

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed! (Especially you, Guest. Soooo many reviews! O.o) For some reason, I feel that I have less reviewers than I had before D: AM I GETTING LESS GOOD IN MY WRITING? . I hope not.

DISCLAIMER: I will not admit my disownership! Not until the Avengers have finally assembled! ... Ah... Wait. They're already assembled, haven't they?

...

Fine.

I don't own Vocaloid.

* * *

_In a web of treachery and lies, the innocent caught up in it all is the only victim. How long can one conspire to trick the world? In a single day, all these things can be taken from you; Nothing is made to last forever._

_When the time comes to make a decision, what will you choose? What would be considered 'right'? What would be considered 'wrong'? Do you have the right to make your own decision?_

_As the truth slowly unfolds, secrets that should have stayed hidden for eons will be found out. Friends betray, and enemies turn. Blood is shed and peace is made. But at the end of it all, there must still be a victim. There will always be a victim. The only reminding question would have to be..._

_... Who was the one hurt?_

~.~

Out of all of the King's advisers, Honne Dell was the most loyal.

The distant cousin to Yowane Haku, and a promising middle-aged man with a bitter mindset and a negative outlook on life, Dell had served the King faithfully for several years. Even at his current age of thirty-four, Dell was still one of the King's most trusted and still never agreed to anything anyone else suggested. His trust in the King of Ladon, however, had wavered on several occassions during his nine-year service. One of those occassions concerning the King's only daughter and sole heir to the throne, Kagamine Rin.

Rin was annoying. She was too loud and too energetic. She was still very loud, even after years of disciplining, but at least she wasn't nearly as bad as she had been a few years before.

Dell had had no idea how to deal with children, especially hyperactive children like her, but he had sucked in all his rude comments and ignored the girl, no matter what distracting thing she did.

Nowadays, it was getting a lot easier to ignore her. Rin had grown more quiet, more observant. In fact, Dell could almost stand her now.

What he couldn't stand, however, was how he felt the King was always keeping something from him about Rin. No matter how brilliant or talented Rin turned out to be, she would never be allowed to inherit her Father's position, so why was the King so adamant on Rin being his heir?

Dell shook his head and heaved a deep sigh. No, that wasn't his only worry. His main fear was about his cousin, Haku. Haku had always been rather secretive, but... Now she just seemed to be part of a conspiracy. Haku had never liked Kagamine Rin either, for one, but Haku had suddenly and abruptly befriended the teenage girl, and was now acting like Rin's best friend. Not to mention the apparent personality change Haku seemed to develop everytime Rin came anywhere close. _Split personality...?_

That was definitely, definitely strange.

And, no matter what he had to do, Dell would definitely find out the truth behind it. The truth behind everything. Because, after all, no one could hide such a poisonous secret forever, right?

~.~

'... Rin-chan... You look, um, awful.'

'Awful?'

'Awful.'

'...'

Kagamine Rin groaned and collapsed inwards, curling up into a ball (as much as she could curl up into a ball while sitting on a chair) and burrying her head in her arms, which she sprawled over the table-top. Her golden eyelashes came to rest delicately on her cheekbones, her silky hair in a mess.

'I can't help it, Gumi. I hate paperwork! It's all so... Boring.'

'How so, Rin-chan?' The ever-faithful Megpoid Gumi asked with just the slightest hint of amusement in her voice as she bent down to pick a few stray papers from the ground and laid them on the table.

'It's boring!' Rin huffed, for lack of a better explanation, then moaned, 'I wanna see Len... Gumi... Can I see Len?'

'You, um, know that I can't decide that myself, Rin-chan. ' Gumi told her employer patiently.

After about a microsecond of indecision, Rin seeked to have come to a conclusion and declared loudly, 'Then I'll see Len!'

'W-Whatever you say, Rin-chan. I'll inform Yowane-san that you'll be going out-'

'No need!' Rin jumped up, grabbed Gumi by the arm, and dragged the unfortunate green-haired girl to the door, 'Haku will figure it out! She's smart! And she won't get mad, either, since she's Haku.'

'Rin-chan-' Gumi tried, and failed, to protest before she finally succumbed to the energetic princess and followed behind her friend, sighing. Gumi still couldn't keep the smile off her face, though.

_Rin-chan seems to mature when she's dealing with other people, but she's really still so childish. _Gumi let out a small chuckle that went unnoticed under Rin's excitement.

_But Rin-chan's really cute that way, so it's alright._

~.~

'Hey, Len...'

'Yeah, Miku?'

The teal-haired girl rolled over to face Kagene Len, her emerald eyes wide, 'Hey Len.' She repeated, 'Why can't you come with me to Pire? I hear it's lovely this time of the year, y'know. The flowers are all out, and the sun's not so bad...'

'...'

The real reason was, of course, that Len was already engaged. To a princess. The princess of his country, to be exact, a girl named Kagamine Rin whom had claimed to have known him the first time they met. That was impossible, of course. As far as he knew, Len had lived in Basbo all his life before moving to Ladon after a tragic incident... Probably.

He didn't have any memories of before the accident, not even those of his family (It took him a week to remember his family and his name, and two months to remember his friends and relatives), so Len might have very well been to Ladon before. That would certaintly explain the strange familiarity he had felt when he first got down the ship. It was still ridiculous, however, to think that he had ever known a princess.

'Len?' Miku asked again, her eyes wide.

_Damn this girl, _Len thought, _She's too cute for her own good._

'Len-'

Hatsune Miku's words were cut off by Len's lips. After a moment of shock, she closed her eyes and slowly relaxed. Miku broke free of Len's mouth after a moment, but only managed to get a gasp of air before the blonde boy's soft lips were once again covering her own.

'Mmm... Len...' Miku breathed, and reached up to knot her fingers into the boy's silky hair. Len pulled her closer and the two broke apart again, starting to come back together just as the first drops on rain fell.

Miku gasped and pulled back. The slight drizzle quickly turned into heavy, pounding rain. Len blinked a few times, grabbed Miku's hand, and quickly pulled her towards the nearest spot of dry space, in a intricately decorated pavallion. The two settled comfortably next to each other as the unrelenting rain poured down...

~.~

Both Rin and Gumi were drenched. The older, green-haired girl had kept trying to persuade her mistress to call for a carriage and take shelter somewhere til then, but Rin was stubborn.

'No,' The blue-eyed girl had said, 'I'll walk home. You call the carriage, Gumi. You take it back. I'm walking.'

'But-'

'Gumi! Just do as I say!'

Megpoid Gumi had drawn back in surprise: Rin had never snapped at her so harshly before. Because of that, Gumi had followed Rin's orders in a moment of rash decision and now stood soaking wet by the roadside under a roof, waiting for the carriage to come. Gumi sighed. Haku and Dell and the rest would certaintly scold her, for leaving the princess unattended.

Even so, something about Rin in that moment had shocked Gumi even more than the blonde girl's outburst. Rin had looked so sad.

'Rin-chan...' Gumi whispered, concern and anxiety written all over her face as she stared out into the unrelenting rain.

~.~

Rin had seen it all.

She had seen the affectionate looks, the laughs, the smiles, the kiss. Oh, she had seen the kiss. She was an idiot.

_Of course, of course that girl would be with him, _Rin chided herself as she trudged home, _Of course she would be with him. _Rin paused in front of a store, and took a moment to acknowledge the absurdity of her situation. She, the princess of Ladon, stumbling home in the pouring rain in a soaking dress, her head a forest of matted blonde hair, her feet aching. She, the princess of Ladon, jealous of an unknown girl with unknown origins with an unknown identity because of a childhood friend with some serious memory issues. She, the princess of Ladon, a complete, utter mess.

'Of course Len wouldn't remember me!' Rin realized, 'I'm not myself. I doubt even I would recognize me... Since when do I break down like this?' With a huff and some newly found determination, Rin picked up her pace and started briskly walking towards her home.

_I'll continue to fight, _Rin realized, _I'll get Len back, no matter what. He'll remember at some point. I'm willing to go up against this girl... Discreetly. Yeah. I'll go up against her discreetly._

Discreetly, huh?

If it could help her come to conclusions like that, maybe the unrelenting rain wasn't so bad after all. The next time it rained like that, Rin decided to go out and think. Real hard. To make up for the times she didn't really think much.

Not that that happened a lot. (Complete lie)

'I like the unrelenting rain,' Rin decided, feeling smug for no particular reason, 'And I have to sneak into my room before anyone notices I'm gone, too. Now, how am I going to manage that?'

~.~

Shoin Kaito stared out the window, bored out of his wits. He watched as the rain hammered down, reminding him (for no particular reason at all) of a certain stubborn blond princess.

Kaito smiled. Kagamine Rin intrigued him. He was certain she'd make a great friend, and maybe even something more than a friend...

_Stop it!_ He told himself, blushing furiously, _Rin is a business partner, a possible ally, and a probable friend. That is all._

That was all. Right.

Kaito sighed and turned his gaze back to the window, looking out at the unrelenting rain.

* * *

A/N: Yo! For some reason, I have an epically long chapter today! O.o I dunno why. I certaintly didn't plan for it to be this long.

Anyways.

I feel that Rin's character has changed. . Has it? I hope not. But then again, I've always meant for her to be bouncy and bubbly anyway... Except maybe for certain moments. Then she'll be, like totally serious XD

(Multiple personalites? O.O)


	7. Chapter 6: Someone Special

A/N: Well. I have nothing important to say today. So. Oh yeah~ Happy birthday, 'Luffy-LT'! (I know it's really on Sunday, but I'm updating today, so yeeeeaaaah/SHOTSHOTSHOT) lol~

Oh, I've suddenly refounded my random talkative urge!

OHMIGOSH, ANDORYU IS AWESOME! I was, like playing him on loop while writing this. IGX IS AWESOME TOO! Igx was on loop too XD My god, they're both epicness. (Igx's Imitation Black was so saaaaaad) And so is Chiika! And! And! Razzy! Gosh. Oh, and I just realized that, according to Wiki, Miku's hair is actually more cyan than teal O.o

DISCLAIMER: Dude. I've done this, like, six times. Why do I have to disclaim my ownership of Vocaloid for the seventh time? (- I just did it again)

* * *

_'Hey, Kaito?'_

_'Yeah, Mei-chan?'_

_'Don't call me that. I've something important to tell you, so listen up!' Sakine Meiko sat up, her back rigid as always, and jabbed her finger in front of Kaito's nose, her bright red nail polish gleaming._

_'... M-Mei-chan?' Kaito asked weakly, feeling a bit threatened. Meiko had that effect on people. As the oldest daughter of the greatest commander in all the lands, Meiko had grown up under terribly strict rule and had been taught to have self-discipline at all times. 'Never laugh too hard in wide view of everyone,' They had said, 'Never make a fool out of yourself, or out of the Sakine name.' And Meiko had adhered to the rules, at least until she met Kaito when she was seven._

_That hyperactive, energetic, crazy blue-haired boy had warmed up to her and stuck to her like glue after only one conversation. After a long while, Meiko started to imagine that Kaito was growing on her. __The two stayed friends, Meiko a year older than Kaito._

_'I'm going away, Kaito.' Meiko told him bluntly, 'Down to Pire.'_

_'... To Pire?'_

_'Yeah, Pire.'_

_'All the way to Pire?'_

_Annoyed, Meiko snapped at her childhood friend, 'Yes! Pire! I've repeated myself already, y'know Kaito.'_

_'But why are you going to Pire?'_

_At this, Meiko fell silent. After a while, she turned her crimson gaze to the sky and murmured, almost dreamily, 'The sky sure is blue, huh?'_

_'Meiko! Why are you going to Pire!'_

_Meiko blinked and started, jerking backwards and staring at Kaito. Kaito had never snapped or shouted or scolded her before, and Meiko had just imagined that he was too weak to. He was certaintly yelling now. Kaito had his face to the ground, his sapphire hair covering half his face. His hands were clenched in fists so tightly his knuckles shone white._

_'... Kaito?'_

_'Why are you leaving, Mei-chan? Why are you leaving me?' Kaito whispered hoarsely._

~.~

The wind whispered gently through the trees, causing the leaves to dance. The sun shone down comfortably, casting a warm glow in the garden. Brilliantly colored flowers lined the path and dotted the emerald green grass. Unfortunately, the only person currently standing in this beautiful garden was fuming and not at all appreciating the scenery around him.

'Dragging me away from home, from Lenka, from Miku,' Kagene Len muttered darkly, kcicking a random pebble in the path and sending it flying over the boundaries of flowers, 'And even then they won't even tell me the reason why.' Less than a half hour ago, the same woman whom had scouted Len to be the Princess's fiancee and came up to him and quite literally dragged him into a carriage, where she shut him inside and refused to answer any of his questions for the duration of the trip. The next thing he knew, Len was dumped in front of the Palace gates and led to the garden.

'... Len?'

_That voice. I... Was here once, wasn't I? Playing something. Something fast... Was it tag? Wait, what? _Len blinked, and shook his head to clear his mind of this delusion. There was no possible way he could have been here before. None at all. Right?

~.~

'... Len?'

Kagamine Rin approached the boy carefully, not sure what he was doing here. Haku never told her anything, just that there was someone waiting for her at the garden. 'Someone very important is here!' The white-haired woman had said in her gentle way, 'He needs to meet you urgently, Rin!'. And Rin had rushed to the garden, thinking that it was her father, maybe, to call off the engagement. Or Kaito, to tell her that their friendship wasn't working and that their parents had stopped working together. Or Gumi, to say that she was resigning and that Rin was too troublesome for her.

_Gumi? Gumi? I'm getting paranoid._ Rin had thought to herself, shaking her head, _Besides, Haku said 'he'. Gumi's not a 'he'._

So she was, needless to say, extremely shocked when she found herself looking at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy in the garden. Len had something important to say to her urgently? Surely not.

'Len?' Rin repeated, suddenly uncomfortable.

'Um, Rin. Princess. I mean, Rin. Um.'

He obviously was clueless as to why he was here, too. Rin sighed. Haku might have gotten it wrong. Anyway, this was going to be an awfully long day, especially since she had to spend it with Len.

'So... D'you want some tea?'

~.~

'Kaito...' His father sighed as he watched his son work feverently at his desk. Work. When Kaito wasn't disappearing to nowhere, he was working. _He works himself too hard._ Kaito's father thought sadly, sitting down on one of the chairs that lined the room.

'Father?' Kaito looked up from under the stack of paperwork, his azure eyes bright, 'Father? Aren't you working?'

'I'm taking a break, son.'

'... Oh.'

Sometimes, the simplicity of his son worried him. But only sometimes. There were times, after all, that Kaito could be serious and somber, although the blue-haired boy seemed to enjoy being a bit more energectic than others, to laugh a bit more.

'You should also take a break, Kaito.'

'Ah. I'll be finished here soon, father,' Kaito dimpled at the older Shion, 'Kaiko's overseas so I'm taking on her portion of the work, too. And since Meiko is coming back soon, I'd rather finish all this now before than after she comes.'

Meiko. Sakine Meiko. Kaito's father didn't really know that brunette girl, other than the fact that his son and this Meiko person seemed close enough and that the girl's family, Sakine, was famed throughtout the lands for producing numerous great commanders, warriors, and strategists. But, even if Kaito's father didn't know anything about the Sakine, pretty much everything concerning Kaito seemed to lead back to Meiko, one way or another.

'I'll be out soon, 'kay father?' With a smile and a wave, Kaito saw his father exit the room. It was when the older Shion was a safe distance down the hall when Kaito collapsed into himself, reaching under his desk and pulling out a picture of a laughing girl with cropped brunette hair in a crew cut and sparkling ruby eyes.

Kaito's mind flitted, unrestrained, to Kagamine Rin and her twinkling laugh. _Like the chime of a chorus of bells._ Kaito thought idly. For no particular reason, Kaito wondered how Meiko would think of Rin. After all, her was friends with both of them, so the two girls should be friends with each other too, right? A pleasent thought filled Kaito, the prospect of Meiko coming home. To Ladon. To her family. To him.

'Mei-chan,' Kaito whispered, 'You're finally coming back.'

~.~

Hatsune Miku was playing a game and she knew it.

Miku wasn't sure when, exactly, she had started this game. She even forgot how she had came up with it, but it had probably been because of that laughing, dimpling, smiling, idiotic, Shion Kaito.

Miku loved Kaito. She still loved him, just not nearly as much now. The only thing Miku knew for certain about this game was that it was made up, invented, so she could forget about her sad little unrequited love.

Kaito didn't need her. Miku knew that. Kaito already had that tomboy, Sakine Meiko, by his side. Miku knew that. Kaito was only nice to her because he was naturally nice to everyone. _Miku knew that_.

And so Miku played her game as furiously as she could, throwing herself and her life into that tiny act that never lasted long. And every single time another boy fell in love with her, every single time another boy stared in her direction, Miku wondered if maybe, just maybe, she might be able to fall in love again.

It had never once worked.

But... This time was different. Len was different. Miku remembered him from before, even though Len probably didn't remember her. After all, Miku had slunk around Kaito and avoided everyone else, desperate to gaint he attention of her beloved. Many times, Len as with Kaito, and Miku had to wait for the blonde boy to go away before she whisked in and stole Kaito away.

_Not 'stole'._ Miku corrected herself angrily, _I borrowed Kaito for a while. That's all._

Kaito again. Why was it always Kaito? Even thinking of the sapphire-haired boy made Miku's heart pang in pain. She really wished that she could remember how to love someone else soon, or she would forever be captured by Kaito and his sweet, meaningless smiles.

Kaito was cruel. Very cruel.

'Please, Len,' Miku whispered to herself, staring into her smooth hands, 'Please. Help me fall in love. You can. I know you can.'

~.~

_'Kaito?'_

_'Hm?'_

_'If you're so nice to everyone, if you're equally sweet to everyone... That means that no one is "special", right? That means that no one is truly "precious", right?'_

* * *

A/N: I totally stole the last line from Super Lovers XD

deadmaster91-sama: Exactly. Why is Miku so popular? D: But the reason I chose her is made clear in this chapter~ CUZ SHE'S THE EVIL ONE! lol And thank you very much, I try to write as best as I can :)

Sakura-chanxox: Thank you very much! I'm glad that my fanfic is interesting!

Guest: WOAH THERE! You're totally spamming reviews ;D Thanks for the *looks back and starts counting* Six reviews! And woah. We've got another psychic here. Seriously, I thought my plot was rather confusing. How do you all guess it so well? lol

Michie Fang: Nope, it was definitely unintentional. But thank you for noticing it and complimenting me on it~! And no, don't worry, I have no intention of making our dear little Rinny a lying sneak.

PortgasDAva: *looks at your username* I seriously want to know what that means. I'd use Google Translate, but I don't know what language that is. X) Thank you for your support!

Zheng Ting D: Was the 'D' supposed to be there? O.o lol! Hiyaaaaaaa! This chapter's partly for you, because you've been bugging me about it at school so much XD And thank you so much!


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